New technique makes corn ethanol process more efficient
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis are proposing to borrow a process used in breweries and wastewater treatment facilities to make corn ethanol more energy efficient. They are exploring the use of oxygen-less vats of microorganisms that naturally feed on organic waste produced from the ethanol fermentation process.
First Olin Award for research given to Nickerson, Zenger
Two professors at the Olin Business School are the winners of the first annual “Olin Award: Recognizing Research That Transforms Business.” Jackson Nickerson, Ph.D., and Todd Zenger, Ph.D., will share the $10,000 honorarium in recognition of their research that examined the negative impact that social comparison, or envy, causes in the workplace.
Business research not necessarily academic
Two professors at the Olin Business School are the winners of the first annual “Olin Award: Recognizing Research that Transforms Business.” Jackson Nickerson, Ph.D. and Todd Zenger, Ph.D. will share the $10,000 honorarium in recognition of their research that examined the negative impact that social comparison, or envy, causes in the workplace.
Teamwork: Where the weak help the strong
Group work is the name of the game in many companies. The thinking is that workers will learn more and help each other when they are put into groups composed of people with a variety of expertise. But does this always happen? Some recent research suggests that it may not … at least not always.
Outsourcing helps firms share risks, but may create new ones
KouvelisThe concept of hiring another company to handle “non-core” functions has been around since companies began. But it’s only been in the last several decades that the term “outsourcing” has been coined. Selecting which functions to be outsourced is as individual as each company and the goods and services it provides. Panos Kouvelis, a professor of operations and manufacturing management at the Olin School of Business at Washington University, says that it is often argued that outsourcing helps share risks with suppliers, but new risks enter the picture. “Often difficult tasks, if not appropriately managed, can get out of control,” Kouvelis says. “However, these are the tasks in which a firm can build competency and appropriate market value.” Kouvelis explains the pros and cons of outsourcing.